Most rechargeable battery technologies eventually result in the battery degrading in its capacity to store charge over time. This is especially true for technologies such as lithium-ion and lithium polymer batteries. This degradation may occur due to a number of reasons, such as overcharge or deep discharge of the battery. As a result of the degradation, the battery, or in some cases an entire unit including the battery, will eventually require replacement. Frequent battery replacement is costly and inconvenient, and may be impractical in some parts of the world due to logistical concerns. Furthermore, disposal of batteries is expensive due to some environmental regulations. For some purposes, there may be an advantage to battery degradation, as this encourages users to replace devices every few years, increasing revenue for manufacturers. However, there are uses, such as off-grid power storage, where the cost of the rechargeable battery and the cost of replacement are significantly high such that it is desirable to prolong the lifetime of batteries and storage devices.
Additionally, some existing solutions focus on energy storages that typically provide power to a constant load such as, for example, a laptop battery, a phone battery, a cordless drill, and the like. As the load affects the charge-discharge cycle, the load may also affect the lifetime of the energy storage, particularly when fluctuating demands for energy are not adjuster for. Accordingly, existing solutions face challenges in adapting to dynamic loads.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a solution that would overcome the challenges noted above.